A Gift for Senpai
by Dodonchaka
Summary: Senpai's last day in Inaba, and Kanji still hasn't confessed his feelings yet. Just what in the world is he going to do...
1. Chapter 1

Senpai was leaving.

Kanji Tatsumi was sprawled out on his bed, his head resting tiredly on a pillow. He closed his eyes a small moment, and reopened them to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. It really was happening after all. Kanji knew the day would come when Yu Narukami, his senpai, would leave the small town of Inaba and head back to his own city. He didn't think everything would happen so damn quickly though.

How many months ago was it when he first met senpai? Kanji rolled over on his back and stared at the florescent light on the ceiling. No, not months. It's been a full year already.

Dammit… how did time pass by so quickly?

He groaned at himself in misery and covered his face with his arm. He thought about all the days he had spent with senpai in the past year and how pathetic he was. He remembered how he always panicked when he and senpai exchanged glances, even if it lasted just a few seconds. And how, at the end of every single day with senpai, he tried to tell him how he felt. Too bad he didn't have the balls to do it though.

Now he was out of time. Tomorrow was senpai's last day of school.

Kanji clenched his teeth in frustration.

"Screw this," Kanji muttered harshly at himself. Enough moping around. The bleached haired blonde jumped off the bed and hurriedly opened his drawer, smiling slightly to see it full of fabric and materials. He grabbed a handful on it and sat comfortably on the floor, needle in hand.

It was funny really. A year ago, he wouldn't be caught dead sewing anything, even though he genuinely enjoyed doing it. It wasn't 'manly' after all.

He continued nimbly on the said task, all the while lost in thought.

He couldn't help but smile when he remembered how senpai emotionlessly returned a pink bunny strap that accidentally fell out of his pocket.

"_Excuse me, but you dropped this."_

There was no weird comment. No snarky remark as to why a delinquent like him would carry something so… 'girly' in his pocket. There was no judgment. No prejudice. And this was even before the whole Midnight Channel incident.

Kanji felt his face flush suddenly.

That's right. Even before Narukami-senpai knew about his sexuality complex, senpai had never discriminated Kanji in the slightest. That was all he ever wanted. For society to stop expecting him to be something he wasn't.

Kanji was yawning, still lost in thought, when he suddenly felt something prick his finger. He winced. Not in pain, but in the sudden shock of the needle taking a part of his skin. He gazed at the clock. It was near midnight already, and he felt his heart sank. Even less time to finish this for senpai. He felt another yawn coming, so he decided to go to the bathroom in order to wash away his fatigue with ice cold tap water.

Too bad the water wasn't cold at all. Felt lukewarm if anything.

No matter. He needed to get back to work anyways.

Kanji stumbled his way back to where he left his work and immediately started to work again. It doesn't matter how tired he was. He was going to finish this. His eyes squinted in concentration on the half finished doll in his hands. He soon felt himself drifting off again, and he scolded himself for being so weak.

Here he was making a small gift for the first person to ever treat him like a normal person, and not like some trouble making idiot, and he couldn't even do that?

He remembered how lost he was before he met senpai and the others. After all, if the whole world thinks you're some stupid ass delinquent anyways, why not put on an act and show them just how much of a punk you can be. He owed senpai everything. The doll he was making was nothing more than a drop in a bucket for everything senpai has done for him, and yet he still couldn't seem to be able to finish it. Just how much more of a loser can he be?

When he realized that he saw Yu as more than just a friend, he spent days trying to deny his feelings. He felt angry, confused and he felt like cussing at everything that crossed paths with him. He thought he was over this. He thought he was over all this… bullshit. He couldn't accept the fact that he could be gay. It was just another reason for people to judge him and make him something he isn't. He thought he was done with society's prejudice. Now it seemed that society has yet another reason to bring him down.

Of course, the only person that cared enough to approach him in his miserable state was none other than Yu Narukami, his senpai. All it did was strengthen Kanji's feelings towards him. It was that day onward that he knew that he was in love.

Honestly, Kanji hated that word. Love. Too romance-y and mushy for his taste. But what other word could he use? Whenever he was around senpai, all he can feel is an extreme sense of euphoria. And even the word euphoria feels like an understatement.

"Heh… love, eh Kanji?" he said quietly to himself. It was love, but yet it wasn't. It was more. Admiration maybe? He smiled again, only to frown a few moments later.

It didn't matter anyways. Senpai was leaving. Fucking figures. First person to befriend, to care for, to love, and for what? Just to have him leave and never return again.

Kanji gazed back at the clock. It was near one in the morning. He's been working on this for quite a while now. He smiled again.

"Can't wait to see the look on senpai's face when I give this to him," he chirped, tiredly. He was almost done anyways. Perhaps he could rest his eyes for a few moments…

* * *

The next thing Kanji knew, his alarm was ringing as annoyingly as ever. He squinted at the sunlight that streamed through his window and his heart sank. He was sitting on the floor, leaning against his bed, with an unfinished doll in hand.

"Well ain't this a load of bullshit," he cursed. Kanji suddenly felt anger surge inside him. How can he be so damn stupid, drifting off to sleep like that? He stared at the clock and breathed a sigh of relief. It's alright. He would have to skip breakfast, but he could get this done if he concentrated.

Without another thought, he went straight back to work, fully determined to finish his gift for senpai.

Somehow, Kanji managed to get to school fairly early that day. His gift was in a small box he found lying around his house and he even contemplated writing a note.

He fumbled his way into the school building, still clearly tired and fatigued from yesterday. He looked around until he found Yu's shoe locker. He looked around to make sure no one was around before he placed the box inside the locker.

Kanji smiled at his success. It's about time he did something right for Yu-senpai. He was still wondering whether or not he should write a note. It only felt right that he should. So, the bleached blonde took out a piece of lined paper, nothing fancy, and a pencil.

He stared at the piece of paper, pencil in hand. He was absolutely clueless about this stuff. How do you even begin? His heart suddenly started to pound harder and a wave of adrenaline flooded his system. Suddenly feeling a burst of courage, he poured his heart onto the piece of paper and stuffed it in the box that held his gift. Before he had a chance to regret his actions he stormed off to his classroom, not wanting to suddenly change his mind and eat the letter or something.

* * *

Yu held a strange looking box in his hand. He saw it this morning but frankly ignored it, since he was going to be late for class. It was now afterschool and he now had the chance to check the box out himself. It wasn't the first time he received a gift from someone. In fact, throughout the course of the year you received too many to count. They were all from some random girl you didn't even know existed. Usually it was a box of homemade cookies, or some sort of box of chocolates. Most of the time they didn't taste very good.

Yu sighed, still holding the mysterious box in hand. It wasn't like the other gifts though. It wasn't wrapped in some intricate ribbon or anything. Just a plain, white box. He wondered if it was a prank from someone.

Still, if it wasn't, and it _was_ actually from a girl in the school, he wasn't interested. He was leaving today anyways, and the person who gave him the gift was probably someone he doesn't even know.

Even though he could care less about whatever was in the box, he put it in his pocket anyways.

As he walked out of the school, he noticed Kanji smiling, and blushing, at him. Yu was never good with goodbyes. And he figured since he was probably going to see Kanji later in the evening anyways when it was time for him to leave Inaba, he would say goodbye then. So, he gave Kanji a friendly nod, before walking casually out of the school for the last time.

* * *

Kanji's heart was beating so hard, it honestly felt like he was at some sort of rock concert or something. He felt like such a dweeb, hiding as he peeked at Yu-senpai as he opened his foot locker. He noticed senpai pausing for a bit.

Kanji felt a large lump in his throat.

Was he reading the letter? Was he holding the doll? Does he know about how I feel now? Does he think of me the same way? Is he disgusted?

A large number of questions ran through the troubled teen's mind as he continued to stare at his senpai. He felt pathetic. Like a dumb little schoolgirl. And he hated being compared to a girl.

"Alright Kanji, man up," he whispered quietly to himself.

With one huge bold step, he stood out of his hiding place into senpai's field of vision. He gulped. He could feel cold sweat running down his cheeks and his back.

His heart nearly jumped when Yu-senpai started walking towards the exit.

Does he know now? He must've read the letter… Oh mother—

Yu looked up and gazed at Kanji's flushed face. Kanji hesitated and gave a simple wave. He wanted to say something, but no words came out. It was exactly like all those other days with senpai. At the end of the day, he couldn't find the right words to express his feelings.

Yu gave him a nod, and walked away without uttering a single word.

Just a nod. An emotionless nod. Just what exactly did that mean?

Kanji watched Yu as he walked out of the building. He felt his insides breaking away. Senpai must've read the letter. What else was he doing, standing there for so long? He must know now…

Kanji stared at the floor, completely crushed. Senpai didn't even smile at him. There was nothing in his eyes, or his face. Not even a look of shock. Was senpai disgusted at him? So disgusted that he couldn't even say a simple 'hello' to him?

Kanji suddenly felt a burst of anger swell up inside him.

"Fuck this," he muttered aloud, voice cracking, as he stormed out of the campus. Several people stopped and stared as he ran across the pavement. Fuck them. Let them think whatever the flying fuck they want. Pieces of shit.

It just fucking figures. Senpai was the only person he cared about and this happens. The world is such a piece of shit. How could he ever face senpai now?

He stormed inside his house, forgetting the calls of concern from his mom. He ran into his room, locked the door behind him, and threw himself onto his bed. For the first time in… a really long time he felt like crying. He didn't though. He wasn't that weak. He smothered his face into his pillow. Today's going to be the last time he would see senpai, and he managed to fuck everything up. Good going Kanji… good going…

* * *

Yu had just about finished saying goodbye with everyone. He stepped onto the train and looked back at his friends running after the bus spilling their goodbye's and wishes for him. He gave them a smile, as the train began to gain speed. Soon enough, his friends were nothing more than a tiny speck in the distance and, with another few seconds, they disappeared.

To be honest, he was disappointed. Kanji didn't even see him off. If he knew that the school was the last time he was going to see Kanji, he would've stopped and had a heartfelt goodbye with him. However, he genuinely thought that Kanji would see him off. Seemed pretty out of character that he didn't.

Yu carried his things to his seat and sat down. He felt something uncomfortable and realized that the mysterious box was still in his pocket. He completely forgot about it.

Since he had nothing better to do anyways, he opened the box carelessly. To his surprise, there was a doll inside. A doll of himself.

He picked up the cloth figure, which was so professionally handcrafted, and rested it on his hand. His very own chibi doll of himself. Without knowing it, he cracked a smile. Yu already knew who made the doll, just because of the fact that the gift was so well made.

"Thanks Kanji."

Yu then noticed something else in the box. A letter?

Intrigued, he picked up the piece of ruffled paper and read its contents quietly to himself.

_Yo Senpai_

_You don't know how much it sucks knowing that you're leaving. I know you gotta head back to your parents and all but man, it still sucks._

_Anyways, I made this doll for you as a reminder of the time you spent with me and the others. Neat huh?_

There was a badly drawn smiley face at the side that made Yu smile.

_And since you're leaving and all, I figured that this will be as good a time as any to tell you this._

_Truth is, the day you saved me from my shadow, I've been thinking about you. When you sat around and listened to my complaints with the world, I thought about you even more. _

_I aint some fancy shmancy poet or anything and I'm terrible with words. But the truth is senpai._

_I love you. I feel like you should know. You probably don't feel the same way but it doesn't matter. I just wanted you to know. I hope we can at least still be friends_

There's another picture of what Yu assumes to be him and Kanji together. After staring at the picture for an unprecedented amount of time, he read the last thing on the heartfelt letter aloud.

_The one and only,_

_Kanji Tatsumi_

* * *

**Yay! First story of the persona 4 series :D**

**I honestly love Kanji Tatsumi and the main character, so how could i not want to write a story about them?!**

**Well, this story is completely unedited so sorry about that... Just sat down and wrote...**

**And i left the feelings of Yu Narukami pretty ambiguous (if thats the right word), so whether or not he returns Kanji's feelings... you decide :D I dunno if this is complete or not.. LOL!**

**I may write a sequel... i may not. Depends on what kinds of reviews i get :)**


	2. Chapter 2

"Kanji-dear! You have a visitor!"

Kanji was lounging on his living room couch when he heard his mother call his name. He was fiddling around with the TV remote, and frankly shrugged at his mom's call.

"Whatever," Kanji said aloud quietly to himself. Even though his eyes were glued to the TV screen, he really wasn't paying any attention to it at all. His bleached hair wasn't slicked back today. Not that he cares; after all, he didn't feel like going anywhere.

"Kanji!"

"What?!"

"You have a visitor!"

Kanji groaned. He turned off the TV, mumbling a few curses, and made his way down the steps to the entrance of his family's textile shop. He saw his mother standing near the doorway, with a familiar face next to her. Kanji felt his shoulders tense.

"Na-Naoto?" Kanji asked. Naoto, the short, blue-haired female readjusted her blue hat as if saying 'hello' to the troubled blonde. Kanji's mother smiled, noticing her cue to leave.

"Well, it seems you two know each other. I must tend to the shop now," Kanji's mother said with a gentle smile. "Kanji-dear, make sure to treat our guest nicely, okay?"

"Yea, yea I know." Kanji's mother nodded, and left without another word. Kanji scratched the back of his head, contemplating what he should do. Naoto stepped into the house politely, her blue eyes scanning the house, and the teenager standing in the middle of it.

"Salutations, Kanji-kun," Naoto said, as formal as ever.

"Uh. Hey," Kanji replied, as casual as ever. "Make yourself at home I guess," Kanji said, while walking to the living room, expecting the blue haired detective to follow. "Y'wanna drink?"

"A glass of water would be nice, thank you."

Naoto sat in the living room floor, cross-legged, eyes still analyzing the house. Kanji walked in, with a glass of water in hand, and placed it on the table in front of the girl. Naoto nodded in thanks, and Kanji looked away, somewhat flustered.

"S-So why're you here again?" Kanji asked, still avoiding eye contact with the detective.

For some odd reason, Kanji always felt nervous around the girl. He admits, back when he thought Naoto was a… _guy_, Kanji found her really attractive. Now that he knows Naoto was actually a she, those feelings simmered away. But nonetheless, he still felt nervous around her.

"I've actually been given a case about a week or two ago," Naoto answered, watching the ice bounce against the walls of the glass cup in her hands. "Rather unusual, since the police don't seem to be preoccupied with anything urgent recently." Naoto paused and took a sip of water before continuing. "So why give me a case, when they can so easily do it themselves?"

"Tch, how the hell am I supposed to know?" Kanji replied, still avoiding the cool detective's young eyes. "Y-You're the detective aren'tcha?"

Naoto smiled, and Kanji flushed again. He suddenly remembered how attractive Naoto was. Curse her androgynous appearance. He wished Naoto would just wear something more revealing, so he could be absolutely sure that he was, or wasn't, attracted to her. But that was all it ever was. Attraction. When Kanji thinks about whom he would like to be in a relationship with, no one other than Yu-senpai comes to mind.

"Yes, I am a freelance detective of some sorts. Which is why I found it unusual for the police to give me a case in the first case, especially when they don't seem busy at all." Naoto glanced at Kanji suddenly. "However, when I looked at the details of the case, I knew exactly why they gave it to me."

"Yea… and?" Kanji asked, still as flushed as ever. He hated having eye contact with Naoto. It always felt like she was somehow prying information from his skull. And the fact that she looked so much like an incredibly attractive male made things worse.

"The case given to me involves several instances of gang violence. Eye witness reports state that a blonde male of 'imposing stature' is involved…" Kanji leaped to his feet in frenzy.

"Ah I know what you're thinking! YOU think it was me who did it don'tcha!" Kanji shouted, voice rising steadily. He felt his blood boil inside of him. This was exactly like before he met senpai. 'Oh yea, something bad happened, let's just blame the delinquent kid! He must be the one who did it!' Kanji clenched his teeth, suddenly missing his senpai even more than ever. Only that his senpai wasn't here anymore. It hurt even more that this time it was Naoto who was blaming him for something he didn't do. Even his friends didn't trust him…

"Calm down, Kanji…"

"Calm down? Calm down?! How can I when—"

"I have already finished dealing with the culprits of the case not too long ago. In fact, I was on my way to the police station to finalize my report." Naoto stated, as calmly as ever. She then smiled suddenly. "You are right though. I've been given the case because the police thought the culprit was you. As such, they offered the case to me, knowing that we are acquainted with each other."

"O-Oh…" Kanji mumbled, as he slowly sat back down. He felt kind of stupid, but whatever. "Then why are you here again?"

Naoto said nothing as she took another sip of water, before placing the glass on the table.

"After dealing with the case, I thought about you."

Kanji flushed suddenly. Naoto… thought of him? Get your act together man; this is just Naoto we're talking about. She's not Yu-senpai.

"The culprit of the case was a blonde juvenile, beating others with a folding chair. He… bore a significant resemblance to you." Naoto said, in a matter-of-fact sort of way. "Then, I thought about how I, and the rest of our friends, haven't seen you for a long period of time…" Naoto gazed at Kanji again, his face still slightly red from the previous remark. When Kanji said nothing, Naoto continued. "Is there something bothering you, Kanji-kun?"

"No." Kanji stated coldly, regaining some of his composure. An obvious lie but it didn't matter. "If that's all you gotta say, then could you leave?"

"Kanji-kun…"

"I'm serious. There ain't anything wrong. I was just…" Kanji paused to think for a bit, "just busy helping Ma with the shop and all." It wasn't a complete lie. He was in fact helping his mother with the shop, but not because he was obligated to do so. It was just something he did to get his mind occupied with something other than Yu-senpai.

Naoto gave Kanji a cold stare. He panicked. He was sure Naoto wasn't convinced. Her detective intuition was such a bother to deal with.

"Y-You saw the blankets and dolls in front of the shop yea? G-Guess who made them?" Kanji said, pointing at himself with his thumb, giving Naoto a fake smirk. She said nothing as she continued to finish the last bits of water in her cup.

It was almost painful to watch Naoto drink the glass of water. The room was completely silent, and Kanji was anticipating one of her unbeatable arguments to spring open. Watching her drink water was like waiting for your execution. She placed the glass on the table softly; Kanji hearing the clank of the glass against the wood of the table. Naoto turned her head slowly towards Kanji's direction, opening her mouth to speak.

"S-Stop, stop, stop…" Kanji stammered. "Just… don't."

"Don't what exactly?"

"Just don't say anything…" Kanji muttered. "I just don't want to talk about it okay…"

Naoto smiled.

"I was merely going to state that I would be taking my leave." Naoto said, still smiling. "However, I am now even more convinced that something is amiss, Kanji-kun."

Kanji groaned. Smooth move, 'Kanji-kun'. To his surprise, Naoto stood up and placed one of her hands on her hip, her smile fading.

"Well, I shall be taking my leave then." Kanji unconsciously raised his eyebrow.

"W-What? You are?" Naoto nodded.

"Is this… not what you wanted?"

Kanji gulped. This was a surprisingly hard question to answer. He suddenly felt like sharing his troubles with the detective, after anticipating being questioned about it for the duration of their meeting. But at the same time, he was not in the mood to pour his heart and soul to anyone at the moment. The last time he did was back when he wrote the note for Yu-senpai. And he knows how fantastic that ended up being.

Before Kanji knew it, Naoto was already making her way out of the living room.

"W-Wait!" Kanji called out, instinctively. Naoto paused, and Kanji panicked again. He had no idea what he wanted to say. Once again, he couldn't find the right words to express his thoughts, if there were any at this time that is.

"I, uh—just wanted to uhm… thank you," Kanji mumbled.

"For what?"

"For…" think Kanji think, "… for stopping by. A-And being worried and all that crap." Naoto's back was still facing Kanji, so he had the slightest idea what her reaction was.

"That's no reason to thank me." Despite saying so, Kanji could hear a smile in her voice.

"Course it is. 'S nice knowing that some people care…" As he spoke, his mind suddenly flashed back to Yu-senpai. He was the first to ever care…

"I'll be seeing you later tonight then." Naoto said, as she continued to make her way out of the house.

It took a few moments for her words to sink in, before Kanji flushed in sudden embarrassment.

"T-Tonight? What do you—I mean, tonight I, er we—" Kanji stammered, stumbling after the blue detective. "Whatdoyoumeanby… t-tonight?"

Naoto paused again and turned around, her face slightly confused.

"Were… you not notified of the news?"

"What news?"

Naoto's eyes widened slightly.

"…That Yu-senpai will be returning to Inaba for a week…?"

It took a really long time for the words to really sink into Kanji's mind. He felt his lips go dry and his heart pound. It was the same feeling he had felt all those months ago. It was as if Yu was standing in the room right next to him. Anxiety started to tie a knot in his stomach along with a twisted sense of joy that his senpai was returning, even if it was just for a week. But, was it really a good thing that senpai was returning?

Kanji placed his arm on the wall and leaned against it, feeling weak all of the sudden.

"Kanji-kun?" Naoto said, her voice rising in concern. She walked up to the well built teenager and placed her hand on his shoulder. Kanji winced at the touch. Her hand was really soft… and gentle…

"Kanji?!"

"Hm? Oh uh… yea I'm fine," Kanji said, gently pushing Naoto's hand away. Kanji stared at her face and realized how innocent it looked. He felt something tug his heart, and he looked away.

"You sure?"

"Yea, yea…" Kanji shrugged. "You know… you called me Kanji that time. Without the kun," he teased. He was surprised he was able to tease her without being flustered. Normally, it made him nervous just to look at her. Maybe it's because of the news about Yu-senpai.

"Yes… well. I thought you were in danger."

"So, formalities don't count when you think I'm in danger hm?"

"Of course it doesn't. I was worried…"

"Worried that a tough high school student like me would collapse on the floor or something? You think I had a heart attack or what?" Kanji laughed. He had no idea where his sudden need to be humorous came from; or where his courage to actually tease Naoto came from as well. He just felt happy.

Naoto readjusted her hat, covering half of her face. Kanji was sure she was blushing.

"I-I shall be taking my leave then…" she said before she hurriedly ran out the door.

Kanji on the other hand placed his hand on his chest. Was it really true? Was Yu-senpai coming back?

He smiled, only to frown again. Then why wasn't he notified about it? Did… did senpai really detest him that much?

All the joy he felt suddenly diminished as quickly as it came as he walked quietly to his room again. His insides were playing a game of tennis. He would feel happy, then sad, and then all happy again.

Suddenly Kanji had an epiphany. Feeling a sudden burst of adrenaline he rushed to his bedroom drawer. He took out his black cell phone and pressed a few buttons rapidly. Out of battery.

Dammit, where did he put that dumbass charger? Kanji never bothered charging, or using, his phone. Why would he? It was an expensive model, and the last thing he needed was the police to be all over his ass over the phone. 'Why would a punk like you have a phone like that' and all that bullshit. The last time he _really_ used his phone was back when he, Yu, and the others were still trying to solve those murder cases.

After looking rummaging through the drawers and his closet, he managed to find the blasted thing hidden away under his bed. How in the lord's name did the phone charger ever end up there, Kanji will never know. Without another thought, he practically smashed the charger into one of his outlets and plugged his phone in.

Kanji squatted on the floor, still holding onto the phone that was now charging in his hand. He stared at the screen for a while, before realizing that he still needed to turn the phone on. He hastily turned the phone on and watched as the phone came to life.

Kanji squatted for a few more minutes before hearing a familiar bleep. He went to his inbox, to discover a surprising number of text messages. Mostly from Yosuke, who was being an ass. Kanji felt a sudden wave of happiness sooth his innards. His friends have been trying to contact him after all.

Kanji shook his head, remembering the real reason why he was bothering to check his phone. He typed Yu's name onto the phone and, sure enough, he had received a few messages from him. He clicked the most recent one and smiled at its contents.

_Hey_

_Comin back to inaba in on the 25th_

_See you at the train station at 6pm_

Kanji slowly began to lie down on his back to the floor. He closed his eyes in bliss, hugging the cell phone tightly across his chest. For an unknown amount of time, Kanji was on the floor completely lost in thought. Senpai was coming back. He was finally coming back.

For the moment, Kanji completely forgot about ever writing his goodbye letter to Yu, and was instead lost in complete tranquility and glee. He hugged the phone as if he was hugging his senpai. He realized how miserable he had been the past few months without Yu-senpai around. He had almost forgotten how happy he was before.

He squeezed the phone even tighter across his chest. He knew he was acting like a sappy little girl again. As much as he hated being compared to a girl, he didn't care at this moment. Senpai was coming back. The world could go to hell right now and he wouldn't give a flying fuck. Senpai's coming back.

Yu woke up to the sound of the announcer's voice on the speaker.

_We will now be arriving at Yasoinaba Station. This is our last stop._

Yu rubbed his eyes delicately, before yawning slightly. He had been sleeping for the majority of the train ride, and his ass felt like it was going to fall off. Without thinking, he took out his phone to see if he had any messages, a chibi doll of himself strapped delicately to it. No new messages.

Yu could feel the train slowing to a halt, and he felt a smile spread across his lips. It was good to be back. Once he felt the train come to a complete stop, he picked up his bag and walked to the door. It was like déjà vu. About a year and a half ago he had done the very same thing. This time, however, he would have a gang of strange people to greet him.

As soon as he stepped out of the train, he was engulfed by a crowd of familiar faces, each expressing their excitement over his return.

"S-Senpai!~~" One of them, who goes by the name Rise, cried. "I missed you so much…" she said as she began to sob.

"Salutations Yu-senpai," Naoto said with a smile, tipping her hat in respect.

"As formal as ever I see," Yu said happily. He was barraged by a large number of questions from his friends. Yu answered each of them politely and patiently, becoming happier with every passing second. It really was great to be back.

"Hey senpai."

Yu looked over to where the familiar, gruff voice came from. Kanji Tatsumi was standing a significant distance away from senpai and everyone else. Not too far, but not comfortably close either.

"Hey Kanji," Yu greeted the blonde, just as he greeted everyone else.

"I—uh. I missed—… I-It's good to have you back," Kanji stammered awkwardly. Yu noticed the blonde's flustered face and anxious behavior. He didn't have to ask Kanji what was bothering him.

"It's great to be back," Yu said smiling to him. Kanji flushed.

Senpai hasn't changed at all. Kanji was beginning to wonder if Yu-senpai even read the letter. Or even got the gift he made ages ago. A part of him was relieved. Things wouldn't be as awkward as he imagined. Another part of him was hugely disappointed. It took him a lifetime's amount of courage to write that letter, and it was never even read. Kanji inwardly sighed. Maybe it was better this way. Senpai was back, that's all that matters. It doesn't matter if he read the letter or not. He was going to make sure to spend as much time as possible with his senpai.

As the blonde was thinking this, as if on cue, Yu pulled out his cell phone. Kanji looked at the chibi doll strapped to his phone and flushed instantly in embarrassment.

"Thanks for the gift, Kanji," Yu said gratefully and politely. "It was really thoughtful."

"Wow sensei," another blonde teenager, by the name of Teddie, exclaimed. "That looks so cute!~"

As Yu and the others began small talk, Kanji simply froze in place. His face felt red and his palms began to sweat. Senpai knows… he knows…


	3. Chapter 3

"Yu-senpai how was your time back in the city?" Naoto asked, with the enthusiasm of a rock. Rise's eyes gleamed with excitement.

"Oooo yea! Tell us about your new school senpai!~" Rise exclaimed.

The group of friends was at a local Chinese restaurant, by the name of Aiya. It was place where the group sometimes rendezvoused back when the murder cases were still a mystery.

Kanji was playing with a few chunks of meat on his plate, zoned out of the conversation with everyone else. The fact that senpai now knows about his feelings still hasn't quite sunken in yet. Kanji peeked at Yu, who was sitting directly across from him. He didn't seem bothered at all. He actually felt slightly jealous of everyone. They were all able to 'click' with Yu-senpai immediately after reuniting with him, cracking jokes, telling stories, and having fun as if senpai never even left in the first place. While Kanji, on the other hand, couldn't think of anything worthwhile to say. Maybe he was trying too hard. He snapped back into reality the moment he heard someone call his name.

"What?" Kanji asked bluntly. All eyes were now on him and he suddenly felt tense. Not because of the fact that everyone was looking at him, it was just that Yu-senpai was staring directly at him.

"Naoto-kun was just telling us about some wanna-be gangster that looked like you," Rise said.

"Oh yea, I saw that on the news," Yosuke replied. "Dude," he said looking directly at Kanji, "learn to pick up your phone. I've been trying to call you ever since I heard that the police were looking for a 'blonde biker.'"

"Ain't my fault my phone ran out of batt." Kanji said gruffly. The group laughed a bit, including Yu-senpai, and he felt his nerves relaxed a little.

"Dude, it's totally your fault!" Yosuke chuckled.

Teddie, who was awfully quiet for the past few minutes, was peering out the window with a grim look on his face.

"What's wrong Ted?" Yosuke asked.

"It's… raining…" Teddie replied with a sigh.

"Oh no!" Chie, the tomboy of the group, cried out suddenly. "I didn't bring an umbrella… How hard is it raining?"

"It's like there's a waterfall right outside the restaurant," Teddie mumbled. Everyone in the group, besides Naoto, Kanji and Yu, sighed.

"Ah crap. How're we supposed to go home like this…?" Yosuke sighed. Yu looked at him with kind eyes and reached for his bag.

"Senpai? What are you doing?" Rise asked, getting uncomfortably close to Yu. He said nothing to her as he pulled out a single umbrella.

"Since I'm here for the week, I figured I'd be as prepared as possible," Yu said softly to the rest of the group. Kanji inwardly smiled. He supposed with everything that had happened last year, it became a force of habit for his senpai to be 'as prepared as possible.'

"I don't know whether to laugh at you for being a bit too prepared, or thank you for saving our asses, again," Yosuke replied with a smile.

"Woohoo! Senpai to the rescue!" Rise chirped, latching onto Yu's arm lovingly. Kanji unconsciously glared at her.

"Well, problem is I only have one umbrella… and I have all of you to worry about…"

"Oh don't worry about me," Yukiko, a female, raven-haired teenager said reassuringly, "Since I live in my family's inn, I always take the bus home. The bus stop isn't too far from here and I don't mind getting a little wet." Chie nodded her head a few times.

"I'm staying over at Yukiko's, so don't worry about me Yu," Chie said. Yu frowned slightly at the girls' responses.

"I can't just let you girls walk out in the rain. It's close, so I'll just walk you there and come back for everyone else." Kanji smiled at his senpai. This was the man he fell in love with.

"Ooooo, senpai's such a gentleman!" Rise said, hugging Yu's arm even tighter than before. Naoto cleared her throat, gaining everyone's attention.

"That won't be necessary Yu-senpai," she said as she flipped out a portable umbrella. The light reflected off her face unnaturally, and it made her look almost like a model. Kanji noticed the outline of her breasts, which was a rare event. Quite often she hides her bust from everyone. Perhaps she was feeling more comfortable with her femininity. "I checked the weather forecast today, so I was fully prepared for the rain. And since my house is on the way to the bus stop, I'll gladly drop off Yukiko-san and Chie-san."

The three girls exchanged friendly glances, and said their goodbyes before heading out of the shop.

"Now, what are we going to do…?" Yosuke sighed. Rise shrugged casually.

"Well I live right down the street so I'm perfectly fine," she said with a smirk. Kanji could see Yu's eyes wander to the right. He was thinking of something, Kanji was sure of it.

"Since Rise doesn't need an umbrella, I suppose I should take Yosuke, Teddie and Kanji home shouldn't I?" Yu said emotionlessly, albeit with a polite tone.

"Nah, it's alright bud," said Yosuke. "We'll just wait here till the rain dies down." Teddie gave him a disapproving glance.

"B-But what if it doesn't?" The blonde asked with a worried look on his face. Kanji smirked. Silly bear, getting so worked up over water. Even though the bear was in his human form, Kanji supposed that Teddie was still unconsciously worried about getting his 'fur' wet. Even if he didn't have any at the moment.

"Dude relaaaax," Yosuke replied with a slightly annoyed tone. "We'll… just take a taxi then."

Teddie's shoulders began to relax. He then cracked a large, exaggerated smile.

"You… have extra money?"

"Of course I do you dumb bear."

Teddie's grin grew wider.

"Well… in that case can I have another bowl of—"

"No."

As Yosuke and Teddie began their trivial argument, Kanji noticed Yu's eyes gazing at him.

"Uh… w-what is it senpai?" Kanji said uncomfortably. He always felt somewhat uncomfortable when Yu stared directly at him. Kanji looked straight into senpai's cool, grey eyes. As usual, he couldn't tell exactly what senpai was feeling. It was like his eyes had their own little poker face.

"How are you going home?" Yu asked casually, his voice in a deadpan. Kanji licked his nervous, dry lips.

"…Walkin'"

Without another word Yu stood up, umbrella in hand, and walked towards the door. He gestured Kanji to follow him, which made the blonde more nervous than before.

_God, get a grip Kanji. Why do I always feel so damn self conscious all the time? Just be normal dammit!_

"I-I don't need you to walk me home," Kanji said, his head avoiding to face his senpai. Secretly he wanted to spend more time with Yu, but… damn. This was all just so awkward… "I ain't scared of no rain…"

"I never said you were," Yu said with a small smile that made Kanji's innards flop. "It would just be bothersome if you got sick while I was here in Inaba." Kanji wanted to think that Yu-senpai's concern for him was _more_ than just concern. But, he knew that wasn't the case.

"I'm waiting for you," Yu said, with his emotionless tone.

…Senpai was waiting for him?

Kanji flushed.

Without saying anymore, Kanji obediently stood up and walked towards the door next to his senpai.

"Awweee, you're leaving already?" Rise whined. Her sad mood didn't last very long. "Well~ I'll see you tomorrow senpai!"

"Yea, later partner," Yosuke said with a small playful wink.

"Later," Yu said, unraveling his umbrella, "I'll see you all tomorrow." And with that, Kanji and Yu left the restaurant.

* * *

Kanji felt as if he was waaaaaaaay too close to his senpai. Every step and action felt forced and unnatural. Who could blame the poor, confused teenager for being so self-conscious around the person he loved so much.

For one, the umbrella was small and Kanji was pretty… large. The two boys could barely fit underneath the umbrella together. Their arms were touching and Kanji couldn't help but feel like a nervous wreck. That along with the fact that the two have said nothing for a while now.

Kanji noticed that Yu's arm, which was out of the umbrella's reach, was getting fairly wet. Feeling guilty, Kanji moved towards the end of the umbrella, giving his senpai some more room for the relatively small umbrella. Yu-senpai was thinner than he was, and can easily fit inside the umbrella if it wasn't for him.

Yu noticed this, obviously.

"You don't have to do that, you know," Yu said with his deadpan, albeit grateful, voice. Kanji could feel his senpai's eyes on him and he looked in the opposite direction.

"J-Just don't mention it," Kanji replied. This was so awkward it was unbearable.

They continued to walk another few minutes in silence, before Yu, once again, broke the ice.

"I like the doll you made me."

Kanji felt that anxious tug on his heart again. Yup, Yu DEFINITELY read the letter.

"…Y-Yea, it was nothing,"

_Other than the fact that it took me the entire night plus morning to make._

"It's not nothing, Kanji," The sound of his name made him even more anxious. "I really appreciate it."

"Uhh… you're welcome?"

"You have a real knack for this kind of stuff you know?"

"You're startin' to sound like my Ma."

Yu cracked a small smile.

"Your Ma knows what she's talking about…"

Again. Silence. Kanji desperately tried to think of something to say, but he couldn't think of anything worthwhile to say. It was exactly like before senpai had left. Nothing has changed.

Soon enough the silence became unbearable for the poor teenager. This silence was different than before. Before senpai left, senpai had no idea about Kanji's feelings for him. Now he knows. This kind of silence is different.

That's it. Kanji couldn't take it anymore. He had to know. He mustered up as much courage as he could summon (more courage it would take to defeat a shadow) and blurted out his thoughts.

"Senpai, you read the letter didn't you?"

Yu replied almost immediately.

"Yup."

As soon as senpai spoke, he stopped in his tracks. Kanji stopped after a step forward from Yu, wondering what the problem was.

"We're here," Yu said softly. Kanji's eyes widened slightly. It was his house. When did they get here? Figures that they end up home at such a crucial moment. Kanji opened his mouth to say something, but then it closed as quickly as it opened. He had no idea what to say. "I'll be leaving then," Yu said.

"Wait senpai!"

Yu stood where he was; his back turned towards Kanji and his house.

"Y-You can't just leave me hangin' like that!" Kanji cried.

"Hanging?"

"You know…" Kanji said, with his heart racing. "Y-You never told me how—like how you… you know… feel?"

"…How I feel…" Kanji heard Yu mumble aloud. Kanji could hear nothing but the soft pitter patter of the rain as it hit the streets. "Happy I guess," Yu said.

"H-Happy?"

"Of course. How else would I feel?"

"Th-That's not… That's not what I—"

"I know."

Yu was still standing in the rain with his umbrella propped up. Kanji was under the roof of his house, but even so he was less than a meter away from the grey haired teenager.

"I know what you mean, Kanji," Yu said, his back still facing the blonde. He turned slightly, so he could at least see Kanji's confused face. "The truth is…"

Kanji gulped. Here it was. The moment of truth. This was the moment senpai would tell him if he was interested in guys or girls. The moment he had been waiting for ever since he met him. It was aggravating to wait for Yu's answer.

"The truth is, I'm not looking for anyone, nor will I ever," Yu said coldly. Kanji's heart sank. He figured it could have been worse, he admits. When Kanji said nothing more, Yu began to walk away.

"Wait! Does that mean you like girls or…"

"Doesn't matter."

Kanji's head tilted to the side in confusion.

"What do you mean?" Kanji asked.

"I mean what I said. It doesn't matter. I don't plan on being intimate with anyone, and I never will." Kanji took the time to take a good look on Yu's face. His eyes were as cool and grey as ever. His face was blank. His body, stature, and face were all playing in a permanent poker game. It was always impossible to tell what senpai was truly thinking.

When Yu began to walk away again, Kanji didn't cry out for him to wait. There was no point. He loved senpai. Now he knew senpai didn't love him back. Of course, it was something Kanji was always expecting. But he had always hoped that maybe… things could have worked out for him. Before he knew it, Kanji felt a sudden burst of anger in his stomach. It was childish, he knew, getting so angry just because he didn't have his way. But he couldn't help it.

Disappointed, frustrated, heart-broken, and more, he dragged his feet into his house. He heard his mom call, and he called back politely. He went to his room and flung himself to his bed, not bothering to change his clothes.

He stayed like that for a while. He didn't know how long. He didn't even know if he was sleeping or if he was awake. His mind was just blank. He wasn't thinking; just absorbed in the heavy swirl of emotions that lay waste inside of him. It was still raining.

Finally starting to feel uncomfortable in his current clothing, he got up and got changed for bed. Pretty much wearing nothing but his boxers.

Right before he threw himself to the bed again, he heard a familiar sound of static. Confused, he looked at the TV, which was turned off. To his surprise, the TV began to come to life, the static becoming more noticeable. It can't be…

Kanji gazed at the clock. Midnight. He gazed out the window. It was raining. No way…

He gazed once again back to the TV, and now there was a mysterious figure in the center of the screen. It was happening again. A sudden wave of nostalgia swept over him. This was exactly like what happened last year. But… it was supposed to be over… why…?

Before Kanji had any time to wonder why the Midnight Channel was airing again, the figure began to become somewhat clearer. It was still fuzzy, but Kanji recognized it immediately. After a whole year of staring and fantasizing over this person, it would be a crime not to recognize. The figure was Yu Narukami.

* * *

**Yeeeeep :D**

**Soooo i have no idea what to write in this thing... **

**Review if you like it... or dont... haha. **


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